From the Sunday Star Times, 9 November 2003 (page A16)
"A blood-sucking creature described as the marine equivalent of a giant mosquito has been discovered in New Zealand's coastal waters.
The huge-eyed isopod crustaceans can grow up to 7cm long and feed like mosquitos and midges by biting prey and drinking blood.
They usually feed on large fish, sharks and rays and have been found among hundrfeds of other species collected by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) during a research project in the South Pacific.
Attacks on humans by similar creatures have been reported in the Caribbean but swimmers here should be safe.
The isopods, which are closely related to woodlice and pill bugs, steer clear of the surface and tend to stay at depths between 300m and 1000m.
NIWA research scientist Dr Niel Bruce is writing a report about the species, one of about 40 isopods recently discovered in New Zealand.
The latest finds indicate we could be harbouring the greatest species diversity of these animals in the world.
'They will latch onto people if they're around in the right place but they are not harmful' he said. 'But you wouldn't want them grabbing on with their hooked legs, it wouldn't be very nice."
The accompanying picture, which I hope to be able to scan sometime, looks like a magnified dustmite.
Zane
"A blood-sucking creature described as the marine equivalent of a giant mosquito has been discovered in New Zealand's coastal waters.
The huge-eyed isopod crustaceans can grow up to 7cm long and feed like mosquitos and midges by biting prey and drinking blood.
They usually feed on large fish, sharks and rays and have been found among hundrfeds of other species collected by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) during a research project in the South Pacific.
Attacks on humans by similar creatures have been reported in the Caribbean but swimmers here should be safe.
The isopods, which are closely related to woodlice and pill bugs, steer clear of the surface and tend to stay at depths between 300m and 1000m.
NIWA research scientist Dr Niel Bruce is writing a report about the species, one of about 40 isopods recently discovered in New Zealand.
The latest finds indicate we could be harbouring the greatest species diversity of these animals in the world.
'They will latch onto people if they're around in the right place but they are not harmful' he said. 'But you wouldn't want them grabbing on with their hooked legs, it wouldn't be very nice."
The accompanying picture, which I hope to be able to scan sometime, looks like a magnified dustmite.
Zane